Blending chamber for water mixing valves



Nov. 12, 1940.

A. HOOPES BLENDING CHAMBER FOR WATER MIXING VALVES Filed Nov. 12, 1938 INVENTOR. BY EHHUBPEE.

ATTORNEY f Patented Nov. 12, 1940 PATENT OFFICE BLENDI'NG CHAMBER FOR WATER. MIXING I vALvEs Ernest A. Hoopes, DesMoines, Iowa Application November 12., 1938, Serial No. 240,109

7 IClaim.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a blending chamber for water mixing valves that blends the alternate flowof hot and cold water and smoothes out the pulsations between impulses, thereby permitting a smooth exit flow of water of uniform temperature.

A further object of my invention is to provide a blending chamber for thermostatically controlled water mixing valves that distributes the water radially into the chamber, blending, the water thoroughly throughout the capacity of the chamber assuring uniformity of mixture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a blending chamber'for water mixing 15 valves that is economical in manufacture, .dur-

able and efiicient in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, ar-

20: rangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

25 Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of my chamber having installed in conjunction-therewith an ordinary thermostatic water controller.

Fig. 2 Lean end sectional view of my mixing blending chamber taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. l

30 Fig. 3 is a top cross sectional view of the 0mm ber portion of my device more fully illustrating its construction.

Heretofore in the art of thermostatic mixing and controlling water, it has been noted that the 35 water after passing through the thermostatic control chamber is not mixed and pulsates from hot to cold and with varying intensity during the operation of the thermostatic control valves. Therefore, the rate of flow of water from the device has not been uniform and the water has not come out thoroughly mixed and blended. It is to overcome such disadvantages that I have provided my blending chamber for'water mixing valves which I will now describe.

45 Referring to the drawing, I have used the numeral I 0 to designate a cylindrical sleeve Within which is an ordinary thermostatic water mixing valve H having the manualcontrolrod I2 for adjusting the thermostatic unit. The numera1 l3 designates a chamber fitted on one end of the sleeve l Dhaving in communication therewith the hot and cold water inlet pipes l4 and I5 respectively. I have used the numeral IE to indicate a shoulder formed on one end of the sleeve 55 Ill. The forward end of this sleeve I6 is threaded as shown in Fig. 1 f the drawing. It is onto this sleeve that I place the chamber proper which I will-now describe. The numeral ll designates a cylindrical chamber having an opening l8 in" one of its faces capabl'eof tightly embracing the 5 outer peripheral edge of the sleeve in. The numeral. l9 designates a threaded opening in the other face of the chamber II for permitting the threaded portion of the sleeve In to be threaded thereon until the shoulder [6 contacts the inner 10 face of the chamber I! as shown in the drawing. When placing the chamber IT on the sleeve Ifl, the joints between the sleeve l0 and the chamber I? may be soldered together or, as is the usual case, sweated together. I have used the numeral 1! to designate an outlet passageway commu-' nicating with the inside of the chamber II. The numeral 2| indicates a bafile wall integrally 1 formed in the chamber or housing I! extending from its outer inside edge to a point'adjacent go the sleeve l0 as shown in' Fig. 2 and Fig. 8 of the drawing. This baflle 2| is to one side of the opening or inlet 20 and forces the water to travel in one direction through the. chamber. I have used the numeral 22 to indicate a plurality of 25 radiallyv extending holes cut through the sleeve 1 [I for permitting water to flow from the inside of the sleeve l0 into the chamber IT as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The numeral 23 indicates a packing gland nut for preventing leakage of water from the end of the sleeve around the manual control rod l2. The practical operation of my device is as follows: Hot water is introduced through the pipe I4 and cold water through the pipe Ill. The flow of this water through the sleeve I0 is controlled by the ordinary type of valve operated by the ordinary thermostatically controlled element II. This water admitted in impulses of alternate hot and cold through the thermostatic element travels 40 in stratas and it is necessary, for smooth water control, to smooth out these impulses and provide a means for blending the water so that the mass will be of one uniform temperature. With my device, the water flows through the holes 22 into the chamber I! in all directions. The baffle element 2| permits the water to flow in only one direction through the chamber and transversely of the water issuing from the ports 22 forcing the water to blend in the chamber. Inasmuch as the chamber I 7 has a capacity in excess of the volume admitted through the holes 22 or permitted to leave the chamber through the outlet 20, the effect of the volume of water within the chamber I! will smooth out the varying pulsations of the 5B Water flow occasioned by the action of the thermostatic element and Water will be admitted into the chamber [1 radially in all directions and transversely to the flow of water out of the chamber ll, thereby breaking upthe stratas or currents of alternate hot and cold water blending the water, to such a degree that the entire volume of water issuing through the exit port 20 will be of uniform temperature throughout its bulk. It

will here be noted that for convenience of installation and to permit the piping for water to be behind the finished wall or like, the outlet passageway 20 is oflset so that all of the plumbing fixtures connected with the valve and chamber can be to the rear of its face. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a blending chamber for water mixing valves which radially dispenses water, after it has passed through the thermostatic control valve portion,into a chamber having a greater capacity for water than the volume admitted through the radially extending inlet ports into the chamber. Also this radial dispersion of water into the chamber assures cross currents for mingling of the hot and cold water especially in view of the fact that some of the water travels from the baffle plate around the sleeve II] to the outlet port 20 causing blending and controlling the flow of water issuing from the thermostatic unit. All sudden surges and impulses caused by the intermittent operation of the valves are smoothed out and exact water temperature is always maintained. Obviously there are many variations employing the same principles and the flow may be reversed through my device with the same eiiect as is possible with the device as shown in the accompanying drawing. Obviously, my blending chamber may be used in the blending of any type of fluid where it is necessary to break up the fluid in order that it completely blends into a uniform and consistent body.

Furthermore, it is obvious that my type of chamber may be compounded to any extent necessary to accommodate an extensive volume or flow oi fluid and there may be as many inlet ports into these chambers as is necessary to accommodate a given amount of the fluids to be blended.

Some changes maybe made in the construction and arrangement of my improved blending chamber for water mixing valves without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention,

and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within its scope.

I claim:

In a blending chamber for water mixing valves, a housing, a tubular sleeve element extending into the center portion of said housing and designed to be in communication with a source of hot fluid and a source of cold fluid, a continuous row of radially extending outlet passageways in said tubular sleeve element extending completely around the periphery of said tubular sleeve element and communicating with the inside of said housing, a straight partition baffle wall in said housing extending from said tubular sleeve element, and an outlet passageway in the side of said housing extending outwardly and radially relative to said tubular sleeve element and positioned adjacent one side of said straight partition baffle wall.

ERNEST A. I-IOOPES. 

